Psalm 22:3 ‘But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.’
DAILY READING Ruth 4; 1 Samuel 1:1-2:10; Psalm 49
Pastor Jason David Sluyter, is a youth pastor who recently released a song titled “These Walls”. With millions of downloads, the song is taking the Christian community by storm. However it is interesting to note that just three years ago, Jason was told by doctors that he may never speak, sing, eat or even walk again.
At that time he had just gotten a job as a youth Pastor in a church in San Diego. But barely two weeks into his new job, doctors discovered he had Stage 3 cancer in his tongue. This began an excruciating ordeal of several surgeries, as doctors fought the cancer, which kept coming back more aggressively and spreading quicker. Thirty-five rounds of radiation later, Jason who had lost 80 pounds over the course of the treatments, was left unable to speak for six months and unable to taste food for nine months. When his doctors told him they were going to remove most of his tongue and take out chunks of skin from his arms and legs to reconstruct parts of his body, at that moment with all he had already gone through, it seemed to him too much to bear. He felt the only way out of all the pain was death. And so he began to google easy ways to die. One day at a point of despair, when it seemed all hope was lost, as he lay on the floor, his wife stood over him and began to praise God. As she sang praises, all of a sudden, she sensed God’s Presence enter the room, it felt like an embodiment of peace surrounded them, and in that moment, Jason who had not slept for three days, suddenly drifted off into sleep. When he woke up the next day, it was as if he had received new strength and he began to tell himself – I’m not going to give up,”. And that began his turnaround. Gradually his health began to be restored until he was fully healed. And today Jason David is not only cancer-free, but he is walking, jumping and singing again. Though about 60 percent of his tongue was removed and doctors said he might not even speak again, today he is speaking about the goodness of God as he teaches his youth group every week and he has also released a music album. Jason’s turnaround which began when his wife turned to praising God is indeed a testament of the power of praise.
Psalm 22:3 says that God inhabits the praises of His people.
Praise brings God’s presence into any situation. Anything and Everything is capable of changing when you engage the power of praise. Whenever you are faced with a situation you don’t know how to handle, switch to praise. Praise is a very powerful tool in enforcing our turnaround.
There is a mystery about praise that breaks every prison and bondage around you. Anytime you are going through a challenging situation, go into clamorous praise. It is no time for you to complain or murmur, rather it is time to engage God’s Presence for a forceful turnaround. Praise is the platform for effecting supernatural changes. Things are bound to change when we begin to praise. The atmosphere of praise is the supernatural atmosphere of the presence of God. And the atmosphere where God dwells is a liberating atmosphere. When, we begin to praise God and He steps into the scene, every devil will be compelled to bow out.
King David, who praised God seven times a day, understood the secret of maintaining God’s Presence. David committed himself to praise God at all times no matter the situation. He recognized that by praising God, you make room for Him to come and change the situation and turn it all around to your favor. Indeed all things work together for good to them that love God, and they that love Him are those that praise Him. It is God’s will for us to praise Him in every situation because He is able to do even the impossible in our lives
1 Thessalonians 5:18 says ‘In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you’.
There is no situation so complicated as to defy divine intervention. It is not the greatness of a challenge that defeats a man but his attitude towards it. While those who complain, complicate their matter, those who praise are raised up out of it. It is attitude that determines altitude. And an attitude of gratitude will always guarantee a rise in altitude. Indeed you cannot stop gaining altitude unless you stop expressing gratitude.
God reigns in every situation and He is more than able to turn everything around for our good. And it is Praise that connects us to God’s superior supernatural force of intervention.
Having come to the end of January there is so much we need to thank God for. And looking to the months ahead of us, we need His divine power to keep moving us from glory to glory. Let us therefore turn up the volume of our praise! And as we give God worthy Praise for all He has done, He will be set to do yet even greater things for us.
PRAYER: Lord, Please grant me the grace to always give you worthy praise in every situation. I truly appreciate Your amazing goodness upon my life and upon my family. And I know that even right now You are set to do even greater and mightier things for us in Jesus Name. .
QUOTE
Your attitude always determines your altitude in life. -WORDBITE 222.